There was a time when writers and artists were at the mercy of a few decision-makers who said what was published and what was cast aside. The ease of getting your work online has made those days a distant memory. Blogging about your world, reporting what goes on around you, and even publishing your own art is as easy as setting up a blog or purchasing a domain name and creating your own website. The following free open courseware classes will help you learn about new media, writing, reporting, or even just understanding the culture or your rights as an online publisher.

New Media and Comparative Media

Study everything from blogs and wikis to videogame theory to American pro wrestling and how they affect culture in these classes.

Blogs, Wikis, New Media for Learning. Learn about web 2.0 technology in this class that covers such topics as blogs, RSS feeds, wikis, bookmarking tools, podcasts, and more. [Utah State University]

Introduction to Media Studies. Get to know the basics about new media in this class which covers many topics, including blogging, intellectual property, and game modification. [MIT]

New Media Literacies. Examine literacy in the light of new media by exploring online social networking, videogaming, collective intelligence, and other related subjects of media literacy. [MIT]

American Soap Operas. Study the transformation of American soap operas, then make comparisons with recent incarnations of these types of shows by comparing with popular shows like 24 and Friday Night Lights. [MIT]

The Anthropology of Sound. Learn about the human experience of sound and study such topics as sound art, music, and environmental recordings as you explore the relationship between culture, technology, and people. [MIT]

Art and Technology. Learn about the relationship between art and technology as it is occurring today and as it was throughout history. [Capilano University]

Technologies for Creative Learning. Examine ways new technologies can help stimulate learning and creativity in this hands-on course that uses the Lego Programmable Brick and Computer Clubhouse as an example. [MIT]

Media Industries and Systems. Learn about the trends, audience, and creative process as forces shaping content in media industries and systems. [MIT]

Intro to Tech Communication. This course offers the basics of writing for an information-based audience and is especially valuable if you come from a more technical background than a literary one. [MIT]

No matter if you just need to learn the basics of photography and graphic design or want to find out how to make the most from an image for photojournalism, these classes will have you shooting great photos.

Audiovisual Production Learning Club. Join this community-based class to learn how to produce and distribute a variety of multimedia including photography, videography, music production, and more. [The Open University]

Photography and Related Media. Learn how images are produced both technically and culturally in this photography class that also teaches practical applications appropriate for both beginners and advanced photographers. [MIT]

The Science Essay. Study how segments of popular science evolved, how they relate to the general population, and how to write about science so that the concepts are clear and understandable to those without a science background. [MIT]

Understanding media: the celebrity in the text. Whether you plan to produce, analyze, or just learn about celebrities, this class takes an in depth look at how the information about celebrities is disseminated. [The Open University]

Social Visualization. Practice visualizing the online user audience and learn about the psychology behind this crowd through their online activities and interactions. [MIT]

Understanding Online Interaction. Explore how people communicate online and also learn how to design environments on the web that are conducive to learning. [Utah State University]

Communicating Across Cultures. As globalization has become a reality, learn its effects on society and find out how you can become more culturally sensitive to those around you. [MIT]

Visualizing Cultures. This course examines cultural perceptions with regards to racism, nationalism, war, propaganda, and more through the exploration of the opening of Japan by Commodore Perry as a real-life example. [MIT]

Introduction to Copyright Law. This course covers the basics of copyright law with a heavy emphasis on Internet-related topics. This is an important class for anyone writing or working on the Internet. [MIT]

Information Law and Policy. Learn about copyright law, protecting databases, licensing of information, privacy and more in this course. [UC Berkeley]